On many days I read the Wikipedia to learn what interesting things happened on that day in history. When I do that, I always find myself reading carefully through the births, to find out who was born on that particular day of the year.
But I never even glance at the deaths. I guess I am simply not interested in knowing when people have left this Earth.
I am reminded of this because I met with a physical therapist today who asked me various questions about my health. At some point she asked me something that prompted me to reply “My plan is to live forever.”
A short silence followed. I broke the silence by saying “So far, it’s working.”
That got a laugh, but I am not sure I was entirely joking. I suspect there may be a connection between that conversation and my Wikipedia reading habits.
From Walter Isaacson’s biography of Steve Jobs:
“I like to think that something survives after you die”, he said. “It’s strange to think you accumulate all this experience, and maybe a little wisdom, and it just goes away. So I really want to believe that something survives, that maybe your consciousness endures.”
He fell silent for a very long time. “But on the other hand, perhaps it’s like an on-off switch,” he said. “Click! And your gone.”
Then he paused again and smiled slightly. “Maybe that’s why I never liked to put on-off switches on Apple devices.”